Pen Pal Para
by StephiJ
Summary: Harry Potter has a pen pal he wants to meet but when the meeting plan fails they fall out of touch. They start writing again about five years later, but has Harry already found someone?! Uh oh! Romantic comedy. Read and review
1. Letters

Author's note: Before you read this story, if you even read this note, I would like the audience to know that this was rather an important piece of writing to me because in every writing I do their is some part of it based on me or how I wish to be. Please, Read, review, and enjoy it first and formost.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own my own life and I choose to write.  
  
Chapter One: Letters  
  
Dear Pen Pal,  
I am writing to you because a family friend I've never met before explained a preposal to me. Albus Dumbledore, the preposer, offered to allow me to be pen pal to one of his students. I am American, 14 year of age (on August 6th), and will be attending the fifth year of an american wizarding school, Avada Academy. Lovely being named after the death spell, isn't it?  
Well, anyway, I'd love to know a little about yourself, whoever you are. I'll be waiting.  
Love,  
PenPalPara  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Para,   
My name is Harry Potter. I'll be turning 15 in July and will also be attending my fifth year of Wizarding School with my headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He is the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, of course. I can't believe you've never met him! You really should; he's a great guy. So.......  
Where do you live in America? I've never been there because I've been stuck here with my Muggle Aunt, Uncle and fat pig of a cousin, all of which share the name Dursley. Barfo! What kind of a name is that?! Anyway, they can't stand wizards or witches, and no one can say the word MAGIC around them, ever! Get a life! I mean, please. Can you believe that?  
Love,   
PenPalPotter  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Harry,  
It's good to see you have some sence of humor. That's a very good thing! I was worried you'd be some snobby prick or something, and I would have to stop writing you.  
I live in Northern California, the very west of the U.S. if you don't already know. My school, AvaCad, as we call it, is down more Southern or Central California, but then, just like Hogwarts, students don't know exactly where it is.  
I hate to admit it, but Dursley..... is a terrible name. Origional, yes, but not necessary. You sound like you have quite a home-life. I'd love to know more about it. Write soon!  
Love,  
PenPalPara  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Para,  
You're flattering me! Stop! I'm ink blushing. Heck, I'm lucky I have ink and parchment to write you with the way the Barfo Family treats me! I live in like this small closet area with a hard lumpy bed and Hedwig, my snowy owl. I got her my first year as a birthday present from Hagrid, the grounds-keeper at Hogwarts. She keeps me sane along with my two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron's got like a hundred siblings and Herm's an only child. We have our differences, but we have many more things in common.  
Ron has his flaming red hair, Weasley's always have red hair, and blue eyes. Since he has so many siblings, he has a lot of hand me down robes. His mom even got him dress robes with laces on the edges. I don't think he's ever gotten to the point where his face was redder than his hair, but I saw it; it happened. We both knew it was hillarious, but I didn't want to be rude, you know. Besides, I'm closer to Ron then any other human being, witch, or wizard alive! Not that Herm isn't important to me ,too.  
Hermione has frizzy brown hair, although it's getting better, and brown eyes. She is a bookworm and several times has been the scary-smart girl of school, but I think she's getting this attitude thing. It's hard to explain. In her last letter she was really nice to me and was saying nothing about the latest book she read. She's NEVER done that before! Wierd ,eh? She used to have these buck teeth, but this jerkweed made her bleed and she ended up with perfect teeth. Did I miss something?! I think she said it had something to do with a mirror, oh well.  
So, now that I've given you all this information! Spill some of your own life story!  
Love,  
PenPalPotter  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Harry,  
Great Merlin, hun! I didn't ask for your auto-biography, but I'm glad you wrote a long letter because I needed something to keep me tied up while my father went on and on at a lunch with his business partner. Then his boss showed up, and I think he almost had a heart attack. It didn't scare him half as much as it scared me; he had been standing behind me for a couple of minutes reading your letter! I almost died, and it only got worse when he asked how long I had been going out with my boyfriend!!! I froze in place. I was on the edge of tears I was so embarrassed. Smoke was practically coming out of my ears. Of course, my dad went on and on about how I had a boyfriend who's father was head of a huge business in wherever he made you live, and this obviously made his boss get off his back as if he had a connection to some soon huge corporation. I jus went back to reading, but I'll never read a letter in public again. It was mortifying!  
How's it going back at the Family Farm? Hope you're serviving! Write soon.  
Love,  
PenPalPara  
P.S. Your friends sound so cool. I have my share of freaks for friends. Sarah is hilarious; you would love her. She has your sence of humor. Sarah's twin sister, Mariah, is the most fashionable person and is the official starter of every trend ever to sweep the world. My school starts in mid-July, and I really don't want to go back. Wish me luck!  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Para,  
Your hilarious! I can't get enough of it. Sorry about the whole 'telling my life story thing'. I didn't mean to, I promise! Hogwarts doesn't start 'till September. Everything is back to utter normalcy.   
Hermione wrote me and gave me about fifty summaries from a book about magical animals and their ancient ancesters or something. It took me three days to read it! Ron is still having trouble using the Muggle telephone, and it really isn't that hard. Still, I have to put in my earplugs when he calls; he can't seem to understand how it works.  
So how is life in California? The 'Family Farm' is ok. I'm holding up. Dudley, my cousin, is on another diet, but with the way Smeltings treats him, he'll be even fatter when he comes home next summer. Anyway, I hope you have fun at school. Keep in touch.  
Love,  
PenPalPotter  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Harry,  
Happy Birthday! I hope the recording envelope worked. If it didn't it was suppose to play back my recording of me singing happy birthday to you, but I still hope it worked. So how has your birthday been so far?! I wish it to be the best!  
I have great news! Even though my school starts in a week, we have a three day holiday corresponding to when you'll be in Diagon Alley for book purchase! My mum said I could go and stay one night; I have a friend I could visit who I've been dying to see. Maybe we could finally meet in person?! I'm also supposed to get more books for extra studies and Mum said I could get some specialty Quidditch robes for my team at AvaCad.  
Anyway, hope you'll be able to make it! Write back soon, Harry.  
Love,   
Para  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dear Para,  
Sorry it's been like a month since I got you're letter but the Dursley's..... well, I'll explain later. The good news is that school is almost starting ,and I would love to meet you in Diagon Alley before I get on the train to Hogwarts. Are you staying at the Leaky Chauldron because I could meet you in there at, maybe say, 10 in the morning, if you'll be awake. I'll have to leave for Hogwarts by 1:30 to get to the train or itwill leave me and I don't really want that to happen, again. I can't wait to finally see you in person. Bye.  
Love,  
Harry Potter  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Diagon Alley

Author's note: Before you read this story, if you even read this note, I would like the audience to know that this was rather an important piece of writing to me because in every writing I do their is some part of it based on me or how I wish to be. Please, Read, review, and enjoy it first and formost.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own my own life and I choose to write.  
  
Chapter Two: Diagon Alley  
  
"Get out, boy!" Uncle Vernon screamed as Harry clicked open the door to the blue station wagon. Harry slammed the door behind him and quickly emptied his belongings from the trunk.  
  
Two young men stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron to help Harry with his bags. Since many Hogwarts students came to Diagon Alley before going to school, the Leaky Cauldron offered to send their baggage to the Hogwarts Express. Harry walked into the pub without looking back at fat Uncle Dursley.  
  
As harry stepped through the creaky iron door, he spotted a father large load of bags, mostly packed from shopping it looked like, on a cart in the hall. 'Must be a girl's' he muttered to himself. 'Maybe they are Para's things!'  
  
Catching a glimpse at a golden clip on a huge leather suitcase, Harry read the fancy cursive saying:  
Lila P. Marron  
  
His heart sank. 'No Para.'  
  
Browzing through the smoke-filled pub, he found no girls who looked 14 years of age. Harry planned to say a late Happy Birthday to her, but his chances were going down the tube fast.  
  
His first plan had been to get a recording envelope and give it to her here, but soon, a realization came over him that the best first physical impression wouldn't be him singing.  
(Amen he thought of it first, or I would have had to cut it out of the story!)  
  
Thinking of the letters, Harry pulled out the last on he received from Para.  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
Dear Harry,  
This may sound truely stupid, but ever since we started exchanging letters (real ones, I mean, with actual info in them) I've had, or started to have, this...I guess you could say...crush on you. I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way. It's stupid, childish, moronic; oh, the list could go on.  
Well. Now that I've made a complete and utter fool of myself, and if you still want to meet me, I'll be at the Leaky Cauldron for 30 minutes after 10. I hope you come.  
  
Love,  
Para  
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~  
Harry pocketed the letter again and scanned the faces. 'It's all Dursley's fault!' he thought, 'He just had to leave at 15 after.'  
  
Harry gloomily passed the brick wall into Diagon Alley and glanced around at the faces there. He decided he might as well get some of his school books; it's not like that could make his day... who?  
  
Suddenly, Harry saw a young girl walk from the Quidditch store to the bookstore not but 10 feet in front of him. She never looked up while carrying a large bag in hand with a shrunken broom poking out amung the fabric.  
  
An enormous gut feeling came over Harry as he put the clues together. 'She said once that she needed robes and books, didn't she? Maybe that's her.' and as his spirits rose so did his doubts. He cautiosly opened the door and glided past a few shelves making sure he found the one where the girl was. As he peeked over a shelf of books, he saw her standing in front of him, unaware of his presence.  
  
He could see the royal purple and black robes neatly folded into the bag along with the broom bow labeled 'Nimbus 3062 a.k.a. Firebolt Windsweep, The new team, the old dream. '  
  
'So the two companies teamed up. Sounds like a bloody good broom.' Harry thought to himself, then quickly snapped himself back to attention just in time to see the girl's face as she closed the book with a giggle and put it in her bag.  
  
She scanned other shelves with Harry close behind and ended up holding a potions book, something about defense against dark arts, and an 'Everything you need to kno about Quidditch' Manual. Harry followed her to the counter where she unloaded the books.  
  
Harry could feel his heart racing in his chest as he tapped the girl's shoulder lightly.  
  
She slowly turned, her Quidditch book in hand, eyes wide and questioning. She was pretty; she had long black hair that shined with a reddish glow and light blue-green eyes.  
  
"Hi," Harry gulped finally, "I'm Harry and I was wondering if you are Para." 'Right, idiot,' Harry's brain spat at him, 'that was smooth!'  
  
The girl seemed to be taken aback for a moment, as if she were pondering an answer.  
  
"No..." she said quickly, as if to make up for the time she had been thinking, "My name... my name is Lila... I'm sorry." She looked away, putting her book onto the counter along with enough money to pay for them.  
  
"Me, too." Harry apologized. "Me, too." 


	3. The Wrong Person

Author's note: Before you read this story, if you even read this note, I would like the audience to know that this was rather an important piece of writing to me because in every writing I do their is some part of it based on me or how I wish to be. Please, Read, review, and enjoy it first and foremost.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own my own life and I choose to write.  
  
Chapter Three: The Wrong Person  
  
Para sat staring blankly through the frosting window. It seemed so wrong for her to be in love with Harry. She didn't want to be, and honestly was enormously relieved she wouldn't be able to put a face to the Boy-Who-Had- Stolen-Her-Heart. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would break down crying. The friend who had come with her to visit their old pal whose family had moved to London had gone and done her shopping while Para had waited in the Leaky Cauldron. They had piled their belongings high by the door so that Para could spend as much time with Harry as possible before either of them had to leave. Harry never showed.  
  
The ice cream shop was just opening but the inside was so cold already from the need to keep the dessert throughout the night that the employees needed to scrape the frost off the windows. The customers couldn't see inside otherwise. Para had slowly risen from her table in the smoky pub at 10:56 and moved to the ever-so-different table outside the creamery, but she has reseated herself in an exponentially worse mood at 11:02. Time seemed to stop and then jump a few minutes ahead every once in a while to keep up. Para would look down at the tabletop, and then lift her head and be staring at a completely different group of people; the scene just jumped that quickly.  
  
On her oh-so-morbid walk from table to table, her friend had spotted her and asked if she had gotten to talk to her "Harry-kins". Her friend gave a bit of a giggle at her own joke and all of the sudden frowned at the expression on Para face.  
  
"What the blazes is eating you? He did come, didn't he?"  
  
Para almost broke down at these words, but couldn't bring herself to tell the lass how pathetic and stupid she had been to expect a 15 year old boy to not be scared away by a love letter a good day before meeting someone for the FIRST time. So she settled with a rather good sized lie. "He didn't really like me all that much. We just left it at that."  
  
"Oh poor babe, go have a mint cone and I'll grab your books and whatnot. You got your list?"  
  
Para fished the crumpled paper out of her pocket, not realizing another bit of parchment fell out in the process, and began to scribble down a few specifics of stuff she wanted. She handed it over roughly and scuffled away. Her friend, still frowning, walked into the Quidditch gear shop.  
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Lila stormed quickly out of Flourrish and Blott's with as much grace as she could muster in the heat of the moment. This was just ridiculous!  
  
"You bloody liar!!" Lila skidded to a stop on the opposite end of the patio table Para had molded her self into, throwing the books into Para's view as she stared. "You have no spine what-so-ever. How could you sit there and tell me you had given up when you never even tried? What did you do, run out as soon as your saw him in the door frame?"  
  
Para still hadn't looked up; she had only made the move to pick up her new 'all you need to know about Quidditch' book. Lila stopped her short, pounding her fist to back cover of the text, halting any movement. "Do you know who just asked me if I was you? Do you know who has no idea what's happened to the person who said she would be here? Harry Potter, the boy you, if you won't say it, I will, LOVE." Lila whispered the last part, harshly bending towards Para, who looked up with the most innocent, devastated expression on her blotchy red face.  
  
Lila pushed herself upright again and gave a hearty laugh. Para realized at that very moment she had most definitely brought the wrong friend along on this very important day. Para, flustered and beginning to feel her face grow hotter than she ever felt possible, shot out of her chair and staggered into the creamery for that mint cone. All she could think was that she would bet 50 galleons that her face was redder than Ron Weasley's hair, and Para began to cry.  
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"Me, too." Harry took once last sad look at the poor frightened girl before she practically flew out of the bookstore. He ran his fingers through his hair, inhaled as long as his lungs would allow and near tiptoed his way to the alley. Before he turned towards the Leaky Cauldron he glanced in the direction the girl had run off to. She was standing over a table talking to a friend Harry could see. She bent down low, and then flung herself back, laughing.  
  
"Great," Harry breathed as pathetically as he felt, "not only have I screwed everything up today, but I've given people all the more reason to think I'm crazy." He stepped forward and almost slipped on a scrap of trash someone had thrown to the cobblestone, but caught himself. "Thank you for not letting that happen on top of all this."  
  
Harry walked across the street to the Quidditch shop, knowing it was the single place that could bring his spirits back up before he had to break into a school supplies shopping spree. Indeed, soon after Harry's fifth school year started, he forgot almost all about Para except for the occasional finding of her last letter at the bottom of his trunk, but he could never bring himself to actually throw the parchment away. 


End file.
